An attempt to retain a ’two doctors’ rule for permitting abortions failed.

Chris Robertshaw tabled amendments specifying that two doctors must sign off any abortion before a procedure could take place after 14 weeks, instead of the one practitioner required by the bill.

’I honestly believe it is wise and proper,’ he said.

Tim Baker (Ayre and Michael) spoke in favour of inserting the two doctors stipulation. He agreed that it provided an added safeguard, especially for abortions under the serious social grounds provision, which would involve ’hugely judgemental calls’.

He chose an unusual example to give of the importance of having a second doctor, making reference to the murderous Hyde GP Harold Shipman, who killed off hundreds of patients in his care.

Mr Baker said it was a ’scandal’ Shipman had got away with it for so long, but warned: ’The more power you put into the individual people, which was the case in that situation, the more risk that we are putting our people, our population, to.’

Dr Allinson said one of the reasons for the two doctors stipulation in the UK was to protect practitioners, because the abortion law was framed around providing defences against criminality. But his legislation took abortion services out of the criminal code.

No other medical procedures carried out by doctors or midwives, required two signatures.

Lawrie Hooper (LibVannin, Ramsey) pointed out that Mr Robertshaw’s amendments did not require a second practitioner to carry out an examination or talk to the woman.

’What would happen, inevitably, is the second practitioner would rely almost entirely on the evidence of the first practitioner,’ he said.

The bill’s supporters said there was nothing to prevent a patient or the practitioner seeking a second opinion.

Members voted 15-8 against inserting the two doctors provision.